So it has now been six months since I've been blogging again, so far, so good. I hope you're enjoying it as much as I am. I get a fair number of emails saying "thank you" and "I like your blog" so my ego is duly gratified :)

Yesterday I noted receiving an AARP card in the mail, and how turning 50 is looming unpleasantly. Perhaps all this riding I've been doing this year is a response; like if I can just ride enough, I won't get older :) Seriously it does give me pause, not that I have a lot of regret for these 50 years, but just that, well, it is probably the halfway point, at best. Makes me think about making the most of each day...

Speaking of which, June 26 was the two year anniversary of Rob Smith's death, aka the acidman. I still hope he's secretly in Costa Rica.

So Floyd Landis lost his appeal before the Committee for the Arbitration of Sport. In fact in addition to denying his appeal they went out of their way to insult him and his legal team. Bunk! I still say he's innocent. No GC rider would take testosterone in the middle of a grand tour. At this point we'd have to say it is unlikely we'll ever see him riding again, very sad. Trust but Verify has a lot more...

The Economist: the future of energy. "Since the industrial revolution 200 years ago, mankind has depended on fossil fuel. The notion that this might change is hard to contemplate. Greens may hector. Consciences may nag. The central heating's thermostat may turn down a notch or two. A less thirsty car may sit in the drive. But actually stop using the stuff? Impossible to imagine: surely there isn't a serious alternative?" Nuclear power, baby. That is the alternative.

Not pretty: Yahoo reorg, a view from the ranks. "As for the Google deal, HOORRAY! Now, you might be thinking that we employees - particularly those in Search - who have spent most of our waking hours trying to do battle with Google might in some way be disappointed that we are now getting into bed with the enemy. Au contraire! We love it! Nothing indicates a job well done better than outsourcing your own job to the competition. Am I right, or am I right?" Ouch.

I keep reading good things about Wall*E, I really want to see it. Pete Mortensen notes all the apple tie-ins. "Lots of people have remarked that Apple Design Chief Jonathan Ive was involved in designing EVE, the sleek, white, glossy robot that WALL*E falls in love with. As much as she resembles an older iPod, however, the cleverest thing about EVE is that she appears to have no seams in her surface, though they appear when she lifts her arms."

Do you use regular expressions? Jeff Atwood loves them. To me they're a good tool, but not the greatest things since sliced bread; I do like this quote from Jamie Zawinski: "Some people, when confronted with a problem, think 'I know, I'll use regular expressions.' Now they have two problems." Indeed :)

So I can find it later: Unicomp keyboards. These guys make the real IBM-style buckling spring action keyboards, just like in the old days. I am strongly tempted. Maybe my ten-year-old Micron keyboard will die soon and I can get one.

Would you call this a bear hug? Biologist Jumps in Gulf of Mexico to Rescue Sedated Bear. "A 375-pound male black bear was seen roaming a residential neighborhood near Alligator Point, officials said. The bear was hit with a tranquilizer dart, but he managed to bolt into the Gulf of Mexico before he was sedated. As the tranquilizer drugs took effect, FWC biologist Adam Warwick jumped in to keep the bear from drowning." Whoa. Nice work.

Here we have fake speed bumps. Wow. I'd happily slow down for these. I find myself speeding up over real speed bumps, a weird passive resistance to authority :)